Girl Battling Cancer Receives Heartwarming Welcome Home From Roslyn Elementary School After 100 Days At CHOP

ABINGTON, Pa. (CBS) – After spending 100 consecutive days at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a 7-year-old battling cancer received the welcome home of a lifetime. Cadence Lindley said she was “happy” when asked how she felt seeing and hearing her classmates chant her name.

Roslyn Elementary School held a cheerful parade on Dec. 3 to welcome Cadence back home after she received her second stem cell transplant.

Students in grades K through six stood outside the school chanting her name and cheering her on.

“Kindergarten through sixth-grade classes made posters and cheered her on as she drove through the bus loop with her family in celebration of the success and release from the hospital,” said Ms. Shore.

Since she was unable to come into the school, her current second-grade teacher Ms. Krissy Barnes and first-grade teacher Ms. Jamie Shore knew a parade would be the perfect way for the school to show their support for her.

In a video posted to Cadence’s “Nina’s” Ninja’s Facebook page, you can see the happiness on the young girl’s face as she waves at all of her classmates and teachers.

Cadence was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia last March and the school has been by her side ever since, providing her the energy to push through chemotherapy.

“Before chemotherapy, we would go outside the school to pump her up,” said Cadence’s mother, Andrea Lindley.

The students would show Cadence their support by cheering for her and wishing her good luck.

“I knew that I would do everything in my power to make this family’s devastating news as easy as possible. I organized and shared information with the school community, encouraged my first-graders to make pictures and write letters to support Cadence and visited her at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,” said Ms. Shore.

Cadence went through rigorous chemotherapy treatments where she would have to stay at CHOP for one month at a time.

With AML, patients have a high chance to relapse.

In August, Cadence received a stem cell transplant from her father to ensure she would be cancer free, but faced a setback when the transplant failed.

The family didn’t give up hope and in October, she received a match from a woman on BeTheMatch.org. She had her second transplant on Oct. 18. Lindley tells CBS Philly her blood counts have been “rock solid.”

After 100 days at CHOP, Cadence received news she was heading home under some restrictions. For the next year, she has to avoid crowds, including school.

“[She] loves school. She is upset she can’t do her holiday shopping. It’s emotional for me because she is the smartest kid,” said Lindley. “It’s a shame she has to miss school.”

While she can’t physically go to school, her teachers are making sure she doesn’t fall behind.

“Cadence is one of those students that every teacher dreams of having,” added Ms. Shore. “She is eager to learn, loves to read, very artistic and creative, has a great sense of humor and truly loves school. [She] has a contagious smile that can light up the room.”

After the holidays, Ms. Shore, her first grade teacher will be coming to her house a few times a week to work with her. The goal is to have her start third grade in September.

“The first priority is making sure that Cadence is healthy and is ready and able to learn,” said Ms. Shore. “She received education during her time at CHOP and we are very excited to begin working with her.”

The good news is that Cadence is in remission and home with her puppy and family, enjoying takeout food instead of hospital food, which she says is “yuck.”